Investment in Vietnam Essay Example

Investment in Vietnam Essay GUIDEBOOK ON BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT IN VIETNAM BERLIN, 2011 FOREWORD Over the past two decades, Viet Nam’s economy has bee n developing rapidly owing to its â€Å"Doi moi† (Renovation) policy and activeness to integrate itself into the global economy. W ith its enormous efforts and determination, and effective cooperation with international partners and friends worldwide, Viet Nam is taking firm steps towards industrialization and modernization. With a stable political environment and great economic potentials, Viet Nam is an attractive destination for doing business and investment. The Government of Viet Nam has been ceaselessly endeavoring to improve the investment climate with the aim at creating an increasingly business-friendly environment in Viet Nam. Germany is the biggest economic partner of Viet Nam in Europe. The economic cooperation between the two countries has been fruitfully burgeoning. In an effort to further strengthen the economic cooperation between Viet Nam and Germany, t he Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam in coordination with the relevant ministries of Viet Nam to publish the Guidebook on Business and Investment of Viet Nam, which is expected to provide German businesses with an overview of the Viet Nam’s economy and its business and investment climate. We are confident that German businesses can find helpful information and guidelines on investment and doing business in Viet Nam from the Guidebook, and thereby have a deeper understanding of the Viet Nam’s economy, a dynamically emerging and reliable destination for international investment flows. We deeply thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Viet Nam for their kind support and assistance. We would like to express our sincere thanks to Dr. We will write a custom essay sample on Investment in Vietnam specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Investment in Vietnam specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Investment in Vietnam specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Andreas Stoffers, Board Member of German Business Association Vietnam and Member Executive Committee Euroean Chamber of Commerce Vietman for reviewing this book. W e also heartedly thank Marktforschung und Kommunikation GmbH for her great cooperation and excellent coordination in publishing the Guidebook. Dr. Do Hoa Binh Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the S. R. Viet Nam to the Federal Republic of Germany 2 ABBREVIATION ASEAN BCC BOM BOT BT BTO CEPT CIT CPC DOLISA DPI EIAR EL EPC EPZ EU EZ FIC FOB GDP HTZ IL IZ JVC LTT LUR LURC MFN MOIT MOLISA MONRE MOST MPI NOIP ODA PCT PIT PPP RO SBV TTC USD VAT VCAD VND W TO Association of Southeast Asian Nations Business co-operation contract Board of Management of IZs, EPZs, HTZs and EZs Build-operate-transfer (including its derivative forms, BTO and BT) Build-transfer Build-transfer-operate Common Effective Preferential Tariff Scheme Corporate income tax Civil Proceedings Code Provincial Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Provincial Department of Planning and Investment Environmental impact assessment report Enterprise Law Environment protection commitment Export processing zone European Union Economic zone Foreign-invested company Free on board Gross Domestic Product High-tech zone Investment Law Industrial zone Joint venture company Law on Technology Transfer Land use rights Certificate of land use rights Most Favoured Nation Ministry of Industry and Trade Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Ministry of Science and Technology Ministry of Planning and Investment National Office of Intellectual Property Official development assistance Patent Cooperation Treaty Personal income tax Public Private Partnership Representative Office State Bank of Vietnam Technology transfer contract United States of America dollar Value-added tax Vietnam Competition Administration Department Vietnamese Dong W orld Trade Organisation 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD . 2 VIETNAM AT A GLANCE .. 5 I: KEY FACTS .. 5 II: POLITICAL SYSTEM III: ECONOMY . 6 IV: INFRASTRUCTURE .. 13 V: VIETNAM- GERMANY ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP.. 21 LEGAL GUIDE FOR INVESTING AND DOING BUSINESS IN VIETNAM .. 24 I: INVESTMENT REGULATIONS . 24 II: TRADE REGULATIONS 30 III: TAXATION 35 IV: CUSTOMS REGULATIONS 42 V: LAND LAW .. 44 VI: FOREIGN EXCHANGE AND LOANS .. 9 VII: EMPLOYMENT .. 52 VIII: COMPETITION LAW 58 IX: ENVIRONMENT 62 X: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY .. 64 XI: TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER 1 XII: DISPUTE RESOLUTION .. 73 BUSINESS TRAVEL GUIDE TO VIETNAM . 77 APPENDICES APPENDIX 1: LIST OF SECTORS ENTITLED TO INVESTMENT INCENTIVES .. 80 APPENDIX 2: LIST OF GEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS OF INVESTMENT INCENTIVES . 84 APPENDIX 3: USEFUL CONTACTS AND ADDRESSES IN VIETNAM .. 87 4 VIETNAM AT A GLANCE I: KEY FACTS ? Official name: The Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Capital: Hanoi. ? Largest city: Ho Chi Minh City. ? Administrative subdivisions: 58 provinces and 5 municipalities (Hanoi, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh and Can Tho). ? Official language: Vietnamese. ? Location: In the center of Southeast Asia, neighboring on China to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west, and the East Sea and Pacific Ocean to the East and South. ? Area: 331,690 km2. ? Coast line: 3,260 km. ? Climate: tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (mid May to mid-September) and warm, dry season (mid-October to mid-March). Population (2010): 86. 9 million, by area (urban: 30% and rural: 70%) and by age (less than 15 years old: 24. 7%, 15 -64 years old: 68. 5% and more than 65 years old: 6. 8%). ? Population density: 262 people/km2. ? Literacy: 93. 7%. ? Natural resource: Energy resources (oil, gas, coal, hydropower and wind power); minerals (bauxite, iron ore, lead, gold, precious stones, tin, chromate, anthracite, construction materials, granite, marble, clay, white sand and graphite); sea and tropical forestry resources and agricultural potential. ? Currency: Vietnamese Dong (VND). ? Exchange rate (April 2011): 1 USD = 20,725 VND. ? GDP (2010): 104. 7 billion USD. ? GDP per capita (2010): 1,204 USD. ? GDP real growth rate (2010): 6. 78%. ? GDP by sector (2010): Agriculture (20. 6%), Industry (41. 1%) and Service (38. 3%). ? Exports: Crude oil, garments, shoes, marine products, electronic products and components, funitures, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, pepper. ? Major export markets: USA, Japan, China, Australia, Singapore, Germany, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Netherland. ? Imports: Machinery equipment, petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, fertilizer, steel products, metal, textile, garment and shoe inputs, vehicles. 5 ? II: Major import markets: China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, USA, Malaysia, India, Germany. POLITICAL SYSTEM The current Constitution was adopted in 1992 and amended in 2001. It clearly indicates that the State is â€Å"of the people, by the people and for the people†. The people access the State power through the National Assembly and Peoples Councils, which are composed of elected representatives who represent the peoples will and aspirations. The Constitution endows all citizens, men and women alike, with equal rights in all political, economic, cultural and social spheres as well as in family affairs, the right to and freedom of belief and religion and the right to choose and practice a religion, the right to and freedom of movement and residence in Vietnam, and the right to go abroad and return home as stipulated by laws. The National Assembly is the highest representative body of the people, endowed with the highest State power of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It governs constitutional and legislative rights, decides fundamental domestic and foreign policies, socioeconomic tasks, and national defence and security issues, etc. It exercises the right to supreme supervision of all activities of the State. The State President is the Head of State, elected by the National Assembly from among its deputies to represent the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in domestic and foreign affairs. The term of office of the President is the same as that of the Chairman of the National Assembly. The Government is the executive body of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It has the same term of office as the National Assembly and administers the implementation of State affairs in the fields of politics, economics, culture, society, national defence and security and foreign relations. The government is headed by the Prime Minister and comprises Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers and other government members. The Supreme Peoples Court is the judicial body of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. It supervises and directs the judicial work of local Peoples Courts, Military Tribunals, Special Tribunals and other tribunals, unless otherwise prescribed by the National Assembly at the establishment of such Tribunals. The Supreme Peoples Procuracy oversees the enforcement of the law and exercises the right to prosecution, and ensures serious and uniform implementation of the law. III: ECONOMY Since the Doi moi (reforms) were introduced in the mid-1980s, Vietnamese economy has changed rapidly. Replacing the old centrally-planned economy, Vietnam has shifted to a new economic structure namely a socialist-oriented market economy, and has gained significant success. Today the aim of Vietnam is to become a basically industrialized country by 2020. 6 Overall achievements Vietnam embarked on Doi moi in 1986 and the country has seen many dramatic changes since. Over the last decade it has recorded an average GDP growth rate of 7. 3 percent per annum, ranking it second in the region after China. Its economy suffered from the 2008-09 economic crisis but recovered rapidly, with GDP growth rate of 6. 78 percent in 2010. ADB forecasts that the economy of Vietnam will increase by 6. 1 and 6. 7 percent in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Vietnam already became a lower middle income country with its GDP per capita of 1,204 USD in 2010. To a large extent, Vietnam has successfully transformed from a centrally-planned economy with heavy bureaucracy and subsidies to a socialist -oriented market economy characterized by strong dynamism and rapidly growing entrepreneurship. The countrys economy has integrated deeply into the global and regional economies, bringing about a sharp rise in trade volumes as well as an influx of foreign investment. The economy is well on the way to being a multi-sector model operating according to market mechanisms. The private sector has enjoyed very favourable conditions created by the Enterprise Law of 2000, which institutionalizes the freedom of all individuals to conduct business in areas not prohibited by law and removes a large number of administrative obstacles that hampered enterprises. With a view to raising the efficiency of the state -owned sector, the government has adopted assertive policy measures to reorganize the sector through equitization. As a result, more than 3,970 state-owned enterprises were equitized by the end of 2010. GDP of Vietnam, 2000-2010 120 9. 0 8. 0 7. 0 80 6. 0 5. 0 60 4. 0 40 3. 0 2. 0 20 1. 0 0 0. 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Year GDP GDP growth rate Source: General Statistics Office 7 GDP growth rate (%) GDP (billion USD) 100 Progress in particular sectors As Vietnams GDP continuously increases the countrys economic structure has also seen notable changes. From 1990 to 2010 the share of the agriculture sector reduced from 38. 7 percent to 20. percent, while that of industry and construction increased from 22. 7 percent in 1990 to 41. 1 percent in 2010. The service sector remained relatively constant: 38. 6 percent in 1990 and 38. 3 percent in 2010. Agriculture still plays a critical role in Vietnams socio-economic life since it generates about 57 percent of total employment and makes important contribution to the expansion of the countrys foreign trade. Vietnam are among the leading countries in terms of agricultural exports such as rice, coffee, cashew nuts and aqua-products, etc. Industry continues to grow rapidly in terms of gross output, at an average rate of 10-15 percent per annum. Besides state enterprises, foreign-invested and the private enterprises play an increasingly important role in industrial development and exports. Services are growing at an average rate of 7-8 percent. In 2010 the value added of service sector grew 7. 52 percent with good performances being recorded in the trade, finance, and hotels and restaurant sub-sectors as consumption and tourism remained buoyant. Industry and services continue to increase their sha re in the economy. This reflects market oriented reforms, a gradual reduction in barriers to competition and to private sector development, and improvements in physical infrastructure. Greater diversification in industrial production and services lays the foundation for further sustained growth in output and employment. VA growth rate by sector of Vietnam, 2000-2010 12. 0 10. 0 Percent 8. 0 6. 0 4. 0 2. 0 0. 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Year Agriculture Industry Source: General Statistics Office 8 Service International economic integration Vietnam has made major steps forward in its commitments to regional and international economic integration. Following the introduction of Doi moi it signed an economic and trade cooperation agreement with the EU in 1995, joined ASEAN in 1995, adhered to CEPT/AFTA in 1996 and became an APEC member in 1998. The Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with the United States was signed in 2000, which resulted in a dramatic increase in the trade volume between the two countries. Vietnam became the 150th member of the World Trade Organization on January 11, 2007. Vietnams commitments in the WTO increase market access for exports of goods and services of WTOs members and establish greater transparency in regulatory trade practices as well as a more level playing field between Vietnamese and foreign companies. Vietnam undertook commitments on goods (tariffs, quotas and ceilings on agricultural subsidies) and services (provisions of access to foreign service providers and related conditions), and to implement agreements on intellectual property (TRIPS), investment measures (TRIMS), customs valuation, technical barriers to trade, sanitary nd phytosanitary measures, import licensing provisions, anti-dumping and countervailing measures, and rules of origin. At present, Viet Nam has established diplomatic relations with 172 countries and signed 55 bilateral investment agreements and 58 double taxation agreements with countries and territories including Germany. It has economic and trading relations with about 165 countries and territories. Vietnam h olds membership in 63 international organizations and over 650 non-governmental organizations. The policy of â€Å"multi-lateralization and diversification† in international relations has helped Vietnam to integrate more deeply into the global and regional economies and increase trade and investment ties with nations all over the world. More importantly, Vietnam has improved its enable business friendly environment over time. World Bank recognized that Vietnam is one of the 10 most-improved economies in ease of doing business in 2010. Currently, its ranking is 78 and even higher than other Asia countries such as Indonesia, Philippines, China, India. Vietnam’s rankings according to various indices Index 2011-2010 rank 2010-2009 rank World Bank’s Ease of doing business 78/183 88/183 World Economic Forums Global competitiveness index 59/139 75/133 12/top 20 12/top 25 (*) ATKEARNEY FDI confidence index Note (*) data for 2007 9 International trade Total export volume of Vietnam increased by 18 percent per year on average in the last decade and its import volume also did so by 19. 2 percent per year. In 2010 its total trade volume reached $155. 6 billion ($71. 6 billion of export and $84 billion of import), equal to 149 percent of its GDP. Both the composition and quality of exports have improved significantly. The proportion of industrial products has risen considerably. The five biggest export items include oil, textiles, footwear, seafood and wood products. Vietnam is in the early stage of the industrialisation and modernisation process and receives a large inflow of FDI therefore it relies largely on the imp orted equipment and materials. Trade relations with foreign countries, especially other countries in the region, have expanded over time. The biggest trading partners of Viet Nam include China, America, ASEAN, EU, Japan and South Korea. International trade of Vietnam, 2000-2010 160 70 140 60 120 50 100 40 80 30 60 20 40 10 20 0 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Year Export Import Trade in goods as % GDP Source: General Statistics Office 10 Trade in goods as % GDP (percent) 180 80 Trade (billion US$) 90 Top 10 export and import items of Vietnam, 2010 Garment Machinery equipment Footwear Steel products Seafood Petroleum products Crude oil Fabric Electronic products Electronic products Furniture Vehicles Rice Platics Machinery equipment Garment and shoe inputs Precious stone metals Metals Rubber Animal feed 0. 0 5. 0 10. 0 15. 0 0. 0 5. 0 10. 0 15. 0 Import volume (billion USD) Export volume (billion USD) Export item Import item Source: General Statistics Office Foreign direct investment Since the introduction of the Law on Foreign Investment in 1987, by the end of 2010, 12,236 foreign investment projects were licensed with total registered capital of $193. 4 billion and total disbursed capital of over $61 billion. The investors from 92 countries and territories have committed investments in Viet Nam. Most of them are from Asia, Europe and America. Taiwan, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Japan and Malaysia and are the top five countries and territories investing in Vietnam. The next five countries and territories are British Virgin Islands, America, Hongkong, Cayman Islands and Thailand. These â€Å"top ten† countries and territories account for over three quarters of the total licensed projects and foreign registered capital in Viet Nam. Since 1996 there has been a tendency towards investment in producing goods for export, infrastructure construction, producing import substitutes and in labour intensive industries. There are more than 8,327 projects in the manufacturing and processing, real estate and construction industries with a total capital of about US$153,5 billion, accounting for nearly 80% of the registered capital. While there are foreign invested projects in all provinces and cities in Viet Nam, most investment has been in the key economic areas in the South including Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Ba Ria, Vung Tau, and in the North including Hanoi, Hai Duong, Hai Phong and Quang Ninh. The foreign invested sector has increased rapidly, gradually asserting itself as a dynamic component of the economy, and has made an important contribution to enhancing the competitiveness and efficiency of the economy. In 20 10, the foreign invested sector has accounted for 21. 5% of the countrys total investment, contributed 18. percent to GDP, 54. 2 percent to export volume (crude oil included), 44. 4 percent to industrial gross output and employed 1. 6 million persons. 11 FDI Inflow of Vietnam, 2000-2010 Project number Registered capital Service, 10. 7% Telecom. transportation 4. 1% Service, 19. 2% Processing manufacturing 48. 7% Agriculture, 1. 6% Processing manufacturing 59. 8% Agriculture 3. 9 % Telecom. transportation 7. 7% Real estate construction 30. 8% Power, water, gas, 2. 5% Mining, 1. 5% Real estate construction 8. 4% Power, water, gas, 0. 5% Mining, 0. 6% Source: Ministry of Planning and Investment FDI of Vietnam by sector, 2010 600 60 1400 1200 50 1000 40 800 30 600 20 400 10 200 0 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Year Disbursement Total investment Note: Accumulated inflow of FDI by the end of 2010 Source: Ministry of Planning and Investment 12 No. of project 1800 70 FDI inflow (billion US$) 80 Top 10 destinations and investors of Vietnam, 2010 Top 10 FDI receiving provinces Top 10 investing countries and territories Ho Chi Minh City Chinese Taipei Ba Ria Vung Tau Korea Republic Ha Noi Singapore Dong Nai Japan Binh Duong Malaysia Ha Tinh British Virgin Islands Phu Yen America Thanh Hoa Hong Kong Hai Phong Cayman Islands Quang Nam Thailand 0. 0 10. 0 20. 0 30. 0 Total registered investment (billion USD) 0. 0 5. 0 10. 0 15. 0 20. 0 25. 0 Total registered investment (billion USD) Note: Accumulated inflow of FDI by the end of 2010 Source: Ministry of Planning and Investment IV: INFRASTRUCTURE ? Road network: ? 171,392 km country-wide. 2 North-South pivot routes: (i) the 1A National Highway of 2,260km in length from Lang Son to Ca Mau and (ii) the Ho Chi Minh Highway of 3,167km in length from Cao Bang to Ca Mau. Railway network: ? Total length of 2,632 km. 278 stations country-wide. Hanoi – Ho Chi Minh City line: 1,726 km (it takes 29. hours for express train). Linked to China railways in two directions, one from Lao Cai province to Yunnan province and one from Lang Son province to Kwangsi province of China. Planned to construct the railway lines connecting with Laos and Cambodia. Inland waterway: More than 2,300 rivers and canals with total length of 198,000 km. Inland waterway system of 35 ,386 km. 13 ? Sea ports: ? Vietnam has 3,260km coastline, a strategic position close to international shipping routes and favored natural conditions of foundation, sea depth, current, tidal, sedimentation and channels for developing seaport business. 7 national level sea ports, 23 provincial level sea ports and 9 offshore oil and gas sea ports. Current major important ports include Cai Lan and Hai Phong in the North, Da Nang and Quy Nhon in the Centre and Sai Gon and Cai Mep in the South. Airports: ? 8 international airports: Cam Ranh (Nha Trang), Cat Bi (Hai Phong), Da Nang (Da Nang), Lien Khuong (Lam Dong), Noi Bai (Ha Noi), Phu Bai (Hue), Tra Noc (Can Tho), Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City). In 2010, Tan Son Nhat Airport received 15. 5 million passergers and Noi Bai airport did 9. 5 million passengers. 14 domestic airports: Buon Ma Thuot (Dac Lac), Ca Mau (Ca Mau), Chu Lai (Quang Nam), Co Ong (Ba Ria Vung Tau), Dien Bien Phu (Dien Bien Phu), Dong Tac (Phu Yen), Dong Hoi (Quang Binh), Gia Lam (Ha Noi), Na San (Son La), Pleiku (Gia Lai), Phu Cat (Binh Dinh), Phu Quoc (Kien Giang), Rach Gia (Kien Giang), Vinh (Nghe An). Business development zones: ? 3 high-tech zones (Hoa Lac, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City) with total area of 3,509 ha of land. ? 260 industrial zones and export processing zones with total area of 71,394 ha of land. 15 economic zones located along sea coast with total area of 638,633 ha of land. Energy: Electricity output reached 92. 7 billion kWh. Crude oil and gas exploited 23 million ton. Coal exploited 44 million ton. Telecommunication: 26. 8 million Internet users. 153. 7 million mobile subscriptions. 16. 4 million fixed phone subscriptions. 14 15 Vietnam rail network 16 National seaports of Vietnam No. Seaport Province Current capacity of ship (DWT) 1 Cam Pha Quang Ninh 50,000 2 Hon Gai Quang Ninh 40,000 3 Hai Phong Hai Phong 20,000 4 Nghi Son Thanh Hoa 20,000 5 Cua Lo Nghe An 10,000 6 Vung Ang Ha Tinh 30,000 7 Chan May Thua Thien Hue 30,000 8 Da Nang Da Nang 30,000 9 Dung Quat Quang Ngai 0,000 10 Quy Nhon Binh Dinh 30,000 11 Van Phong Khanh Hoa 50,000 12 Nha Trang Khanh Hoa 20,000 13 Ba Ngoi Khanh Hoa 30,000 14 Ho Chi Minh City Ho Chi Minh City 30,000 15 Vung Tau Ba Ria Vung Tau 50,000 16 Dong Nai Dong Nai 20,000 17 Can Tho Can Tho 10,000 Source: Decision 2190/QD-TTg dated 24/12/2009 17 Number and size of IPs and EPZs in Vietnam 300 71,394 70,000 60,000 40,000 150 26,971 260 100 183 11,830 50 50,000 43,687 200 300 1 2,370 12 30,000 20,000 130 10,000 65 0 1991 1995 2000 2005 2007 Year Number of IPs Size (ha) Source: Ministry of Planning and Investment 18 2010 Size of IPs (ha) Number of IPs 250 Economic zones of Vietnam 19 SWOT Analysis of Vietnam Strengths Weaknesses ? One of fastest growing economies ? Few skilled professionals in Asia with average GDP growth of available; 7. 2% per year over the last decade; ? High bureaucratic barriers; ? Stable political and social security; ? Weak infrastructure (power, ? Abundance of human resources transportation); (labour force of 46. 2 million people; ? Underdeveloped supporting young, motivated and educated industries. workforce; 60% of population under 35 years old); ? Competitive business and production costs (cost labor, industrial land rent, energy cost, elephone cost, marine transportation, taxation); ? Available mineral and natural resources (coal, oil gas, iron ore, bauxite, rare earth,.. ); ? Central location in South East Asia, long distance coast. Opportunities Threats ? Global integration (ASEAN, APEC, WTO membership); one of the world’s most open economies; ? High inflation; ? High trade deficit; ? Devaluation of VND; ? Higher demand for consumer goods and capital goods with better ? Banking and finance sector in infant stage; quality because of being a lower middle income country, aiming at ? Low national reserves. an industrialized country and ncreasing urban population; ? Export oriented and labour intensive industries; ? Infrastruture (road, railway, seaport, airport, power) projects funded by international donors or foreign investors. 20 V: VIETNAM- GERMANY ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP Trade Germany is the biggest trade partner of Vietnam in Europe. In 2010, despite the global economic downturn, bilateral trade reached nearly USD 6 billion, a substantial increase over the previous year. Total export value of Vietnam to Germany reached nearly USD 4 billion, accounting for 19% of total Vietnam’s export to the EU while its import value from German amounted to USD 2 billion. Vietnam’s main export items to Germany are garments, footwear, coffees, furnitures, see foods, leather and leather apparel, office machinery, iron, metal products, articles of plastics, ceramic products, crude rubber. Germany is the second-largest market worldwide for robusta coffee and black pepper of Vietnam. Main import items from Germany to Vietnam include: machines (in mining, construction and civil engineering, textile, food and beverage,†¦), aircraft, units for electricity generation nd distribution, passenger cars, chemical products, pharmaceutical products, measurement, control and regulation technology products, industrial plants, plastics, lifting and handling equipment, medical equipment and orthopedic appliances, engines, iron, metal products, elec tronic components†¦ After WTO accession, Vietnam is becoming an emerging and lucrative market in Asia. As Vietnam is accelerating its industrialization process to become an â€Å"industrialized country† by 2020, the trend towards sophisticated production facilities is evident and it is likely to result in increased demand for hi -tech machinery made in Germany. Investment There have been over 230 German companies operating and investing in Vietnam, including many Germany’s leading groups such as Siemens, Deutsche Bank, Mercedes, Metro, Bosch etc. By the end of April 2011, German companies have invested in 163 projects with registered capital of USD 825 million in Vietnam. Three fourths of total investment projects and two thirds of investment capital of Germany mainly concentrate in manufacturing, processing, technique services, information and communication technology, banking and finance services. Although German investment projects have been located in 26 locatio ns in Vietnam, most of them have been implemented in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Binh Duong and Dong Nai. In the upcoming time, the active implementation of mega infrastructure development and energy projects partially funded by German ODA such as the metro line No. 2 Ben Thanh An Suong in Ho Chi Minh City (with length of 11 km and total investment capital of USD 1. 25 billion), O Mon IV thermo power, Phu Lac wind power, Vietnamese Green Line, will have positive impacts on promoting German investment flow into Vietnam. German foreign trade and investment promotion is well positioned in Viet Nam. German companies and investors can access to supports and advices from AHK Vietnam, German Business Association (GBA), a correspondent of Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI) in Vietnam. 21 Development cooperation Vietnam is an important partner of Germany in development cooperation. As one of the biggest donors among the EU members, Germany has provided Vietnam with more than EUR 1 billion in ODA since 1990. During 2011 – 2012, Germany committed nearly EUR 300 million for Vietnam. This is a clear evidence for strong support by Germany to the development of Vietnam. German-Vietnamese development cooperation focuses on the three priority areas: (i) Sustainable economic development and vocational training; (ii) Environmental policy, conservation and sustainable use of natural resources; (iii) Health. German development cooperation has been utilizing effectively and contributing positively to socio-economic development of Vietnam, especially in vocational training, human resource development, infrastructure, clean energy source. During the visit of German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel to Viet Nam in October 2011, Hanoi Declaration was signed by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung

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Professional associations influence on HR practitioner - Essay Example uch, the human resource team employed by a company or an organization should be efficient and attentive to the rights, privileges, as well as the personal needs of the workers of the organization in order to foster a good working environment at the company to promote productivity and efficiency within the operations of the company (Bogardus, 2009). Aside from the skills acquired through learning and professional experience, HR officials should always be on the lookout for new skills, talents and expertise that comes about from leading professional associations and journals within the market. These assist the HR practitioners from getting up-to-date information on the performance of their tasks and duties as HR Managers, thereby being efficient and effective in their practice. Some of the leading professional associations in Human Resources that influence the practice and trade of a HR Practitioner in Australia include the Australian Human Resource Institute, the HR Monthly, and similar publications from consultancy firms (Bondarouk & Olivas-Lujan, 2013). The Australian Human Resource Institute is a professional association of Human Resources professionals who study, review and make recommendations on the current needs and demands of a HR practitioner in the Australian Human resource market. As such, a HR practitioner gains abundantly from reading the findings and reports published by this institute, as these reports touch on the sensitive issues of their professional practice that enable them improve and enhance their professional practice. For instance, the latest publication of the Australian Human Resource Institute provided a methodology of how to undertake appropriate HR Strategies and Planning within the organization in order to promote efficiency and productivity within the company (Cheung-Judge & Holbeche, 2015). HR strategies incorporate an effective assessment of all the HR needs and demands of an organization, and as such, getting the right personnel

Womens Virginity And Fidelity Sociology Essay

Womens Virginity And Fidelity Sociology Essay Compare and contrast the significance of the concept womens virginity and fidelity between the Qing Dynasty and Contemporary China, with an attempt to analyse the causes of different attitudes and behaviours in these 2 different eras. Abstract This study focuses on the Chinese womens chastity, especially in the area of Virginity and Fidelity. The comparison and contrast between Qing Dynasty and Contemporary China is examined, with an attempt to find out what possible causes had led to the different perspectives on womens chastity. Qing is regarded as an idol of womens chastity in the entire Chinese history. However, it seemed that the modern youth tend to care less about womens virginity and fidelity. Women seemed no longer devote their entire lives to serve their husbands and in-laws. Apart from the changes in the regions of culture, globalization, and education, the historical progress cannot be ignored as well as governmental policies Introduction With the emergence of the first sex museum for women in China, the perception of sex has begun to attract more attentions of Chinese people (China Daily, 2008). Meanwhile, the roles women played over centuries have vitally contributed to the historical progress of sex. Since ancient China, women are often regarded as a property of men in the patriarchal society (Jaschok and Miers, 1994). According to Marx and Engels (1985), a patriarchal husband à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦sees in his wife a mere instrument of production of prostitution both public and private (1848:101). Nevertheless, accompanied by complex causes, women increasingly gain more rights and equalities in the relationship with men in contemporary China. That is, in comparison with the womens strict virtue in the old days of China, Qing Dynasty in particular, Modern Chinese women as well as men tend to be more open and unfastened to the idea of virginity and fidelity (Ko, Haboush and Piggott, 2003; China Daily, 2003; America Online, 1995; Zhou, 1989). However, many have argued that the root of womens chastity is still solid to convert in China nowadays (Peoples Daily, 2003). There are two remarkable cases that emerged more lately, which to a great extent explain the conflicting value of womens chastity in modern China. A recent report (Richburg, 2010) demonstrated that there is a growing trend of hymen restoration of Chinese women, which they could return to the virgin by the surgical procedure. Similarly, a considered cheaper and easier way of being a pretended virgin is popular and well taken as well as the hymen restoration surgery. According to Gu (2011), the artificial hymen is appeared as a little piece of semi-transparent tissue that you put this into the vagina, itll dissolve and expand. Have sex in about 20 to 30 minutes, and youll bleed'. As a modern Chinese woman, the movement of womens right draws my attention. I am particularly interested in the area of womens chastity, which on one hand is assumed to have a great progress in contrast to Qing dynasty. In regard to the factors that had brought to this evolution, it is hypothesized that apart from the ideological change of the significance of womens chastity, several effects such as the development of technology, governmental policies, education, globalization, and media have likewise led to the different attitudes and behaviours during these two different eras; and on another hand, it is believed that to a certain extent, the attitudes towards womens chastity in Qing dynasty have impacted on modern China. As a consequence, I will focus on the comparison of the significance of the concept of womens virginity and fidelity in Qing Dynasty and Contemporary China, mainly by looking at the two periods of women: pre-marriage and post-marriage. Moreover, several major causes of different attitudes and behaviours in these two different eras will also be discussed respectively. Due to the limitation of time and condition, and the sensitivity of the research topic, the investigation is conducted inside the university campus. Four groups will be studied in order to see the differences between different genders and generations: UNNC girls, UNNC boys, their mothers, and their fathers. In addition, the research of Qing dynasty will be taken place mostly in the review of literatures. Literature Review The literature review will take the progress of the significance of the concept of womens chastity as a whole and continuing process. Thus, not only Qing dynasty and Contemporary China will be examined, the period (1900-2000) between Qing dynasty and Contemporary China is also important due to the fact that it had vital contributions to the development of womens right, which eventually led to the understanding of womens chastity in present China. The following reviews will be ordered generally according to the chronological sequence, and mainly focus on the Qing and the Republican China due to the limited recent researches on Modern Chinese womens chastity. 2.1 Qing Dynasty The traditional concept of chastity is tightly linked to the ideology of patriarchy. As a property of men in the patriarchal society, womens value was merely to breed the progeny and to satisfy men in sexuality. In order to assure the purity of the blood, the strict demand on chastity was therefore emerged. The traditional chastity devoted itself to two sections: virgin before marriage, and be faithful to ones husband unto death after marriage (Li, 2006; Zhou, 2003). As the ideology of cultural expression and the foundation of the family system in imperial China, Confucianism is generally the essential ideology of female virtue in Late Imperial China. Particularly the concept of filiality (xiao) and fidelity (jie) have had great impacts on Qing Dynasty (Ko and Haboush and Piggott, 2003). A good example is the foot binding in Qing which according to Mackie (1996), the actual purpose was to ensure womens fidelity. The so-called chastity cult, a way for women to demonstrate their ultimate moral responsibility to the patriline into which they married, was in the position of domination in Qing by honouring two female virtues: purity, similar to fidelity (jie), and martyrdom (commonly regarded as lie). Jie mainly referred to absolute fidelity and sexual purity to one husband, in which women remained their lifelong devotion to serve the husbands family. Compared to jie, lie was more towards the absolute commitment to fidelity and sexual purity often end up with death or suicide by the expected requirement of self-sacrifice. That is, there were usually merely two choices, both ending in misery for women or even young girls at the period: pain in death or suffering in life (Ko and Haboush and Piggott, 2003). However, in contrast of the widespread phenomena in early Qing which promoted both martyrdom and fidelity, the idea of fidelity seemed to be more preferable since the mid-Qing due to the expanded acceptance of filiality to husbands parents. Namely, widows were encouraged to fulfil their primary obligation- to serve parents-in-law and to raise the heirs (ibid). Yet, many had chosen to follow their husbands in death after accomplishing their expected duties (ibid). Theiss (2004) argues that womens chastity was often related to the human dignity in terms of being a person. In other words, majority of them found themselves no longer being a person in which they were offended even via slight harassments such as flirtation. As a consequence, numerous women were recorded chastity suicide during Qing. That is, womens self-awareness to the concept of chastity would lead to the path of decease (ibid). Except for the initial desire which was aiming to reveal a womans morality and humanity as a woman (Theiss, 2004; Ko and Haboush and Piggott, 2003), there were other existing outside factors that have indirectly resulted in womens chastity. On one hand, governmental policies such as encouragement, promotion, and punishment were considered as the principal elements of the flourish of chaste women in Qing Dynasty (Ko and Haboush and Piggott, 2003). For example, the penalty for women who commit adultery was way severe than for men (Brown, 1952). On the other hand, social pressure as well as education also impressively affected womens behaviours. In addition, widows might earn particular advantages, social respects and family honour, for instance (Ko and Haboush and Piggott, 2003). Apart from the possible causes that Ko and Haboush and Piggott (2003) discussed, Theiss (2004) further extends the range of potential motivations leading to female suicide in Qing. Firstly, familys attitude was crucial. The husbands or family members, especially in-laws, who refused or failed to report and express the outrages such as the issues of sexual harassment on the womens behalf due to two major reasons: family reputation and the threat from offenders, to a large extent led to the desperation of women. As a result, they usually turned to seek death. Furthermore, it is widely believed that fictions and dramas to some extent had driven women into the faith of supernatural revenge. For example, becoming ghosts assured them to have power to return and punish those who had harmed them (ibid). Moreover, by rewarding as chastity martyrs might lead to the damage of harassers family reputation (ibid). Nonetheless, it seems that the idea of womens chastity might have been over-emphasized by historians. Theiss (2004) accentuated that despite Qing Dynastys well-known chastity cult, not every woman was a fan of the female chastity. Plenty of women carried on adulterous affairs for years without the concern of their reputation. Additionally, according to her study, most rape victims including those who suffered extreme violence or gang rapes did not commit suicide (ibid). It is argued that even though some women were willing to stay chaste after their husbands death, the facts of financial problem often brought them back to reality and accept the remarriage. Sommer (2000) points out that the chastity was indeed unaffordable for many widows in Qing. They usually were willing to remarry quickly in the attempt of collecting enough capital to liquidate the debts of her former husband, or even to finance his interment. In other words, a widow might trade herself with the bride-price to her new husband in order to settle outstanding debts before the marriage. However, it is not guaranteed that those widows with property which left by their deceased husband could follow their willingness for being a chaste widow. In fact, they might provoke the envy of in-laws those who wanted to take over the property, and often were forced to take the arranged remarriage. Before the Xinhai Revolution, Chinese women only played a very marginal role (Lu, 1993), due to the reason that, as Raphals (1998) claimed, They were eternally oppressed, powerless, passive, and silent. Yet, influenced by Western cultures and revolutions, a group headed by Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao, and Tan Sitong were gradually awakening to the issues of gender equity in the late Qing. They challenged the traditional idea of chastity and yearned to change the roles women played at the time. Their attentions were mainly focused on the campaigns of womens education and the freedom of marriage (Zhou, 2003; Chen, 2001). 2.2 The 20th Century After Xinhai Revolution, the Confucianism was remained popular for a short period under the support of the Northern Warlords. Similar to Qing, the behaviours of chaste women were highly honoured and promoted by the government and society, until the first meaningful womens movement in Chinese history- May Fourth Movement (Chen, 2001; Zhou, 2003). It brought up the new concept of womens chastity, which is under the condition of the true love, and the equality between the sexes (Li, 2006). Influenced by the Sex Revolution at the period in the Western World, intellectuals such as the famous scholars LuXun and HuShi, severely criticized the traditional view of chastity in 3 ways: morality, love, and governmental policies (Chen, 2001). Firstly, LuXun (1918) claimed that it is immoral to demand womens chastity. Fidelity and martyrdom are the malformed moralities that aim to oppress and befool women, he clarified, Women and Men are equalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦morality is meant for both men and women à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦men cannot require women for things they dont even do. Hushi (1918) also pointed out that it is immoral to ask women to obey the chastity while men were allowed to be involved with concubines and prostitutes. Secondly, chastity could not be considered as an existence without love. As HuShi pointed out, chastity was an attitude between husbands and wives; it is willingness rather than a compulsion. Thus, he indicated that for the women who do not love their husband, usually were the victims of arranged marriage, it is not their obligation to follow the fidelity and martyrdom for their un-chaste husbands. In addition, Hushi also questioned womens behaviour of committing suicide after being raped. He argued that they did not break their chastity and dignity because the rape is occurred by force not willingness. As a result, he suggested that the society should not look down on the raped women, and respect the brave performance of those people who married un-virgins or as un-virgins. Thirdly, it was brutal and inappropriate for government to promote chaste women. It is suggested that it is a widows interest to preserve chastity or remarry, others should not intervene (Chen, 2001). The May Forth indeed to a great extent enhanced the progress of womens chastity, however, due to the limitations of Chinese history and society, the New Chastity was merely accepted by several radical intellectuals. Although it seemed that there were minority of women got rid of the traditional chastity, the majority, and even to the entire society were still affected by the traditional chastity. During the era, the New Chastity was barely theoretical rather than particle (Chen, 2001; Li, 2006). Apart from the contributions from the open-minded scholars, globalisation, media, and mass-culture indirectly helped to bring womens chastity to a new level. For example, the widespread of the translated books which were originally written by foreigners such as the Japanese author Akiko Yosano ( 1878 ½Ã… ¾1942) and her work (Chen, 2001). After the May Forth Movement, more attentions were paid on womens liberation. Since the establishment of the Republic China, significant efforts were made by Chinese government in improving womens status. Through legislations, more legal rights in education, marriage, and property were offered for women (Zhou, 2003). The Communist Party of China (CPC) has brought womens status to a new level after their victory in 1949, especially under the Mao regime. Mao promoted the equal rights and personal dignity between sexes, and contributed to 3 important revolutionary changes for women: the Marriage Law of 1950s ensured the freedom of marriage and divorce; the Election Law of PRC of 1953 granted womens right to vote as well as men; and the equality of rights between men and women in terms of possessing or inherit property. It is believed that the by 1958, 16 million Chinese women were able to read, while before 1949, only 10% of women were literates. Furthermore, CPC encouraged women to participate in social production, which women gained more capitals in both economic and social aspects (ibid). It is also worth mentioning that prostitution and concubine have been out of law since the CPC came to power (ibid). Consequently, with the basic conditions, Chinese Womens awakening consciousness began to play as an important role in the post-Mao era (Li, 1994:299). In addition, Zhou (2003) stated that another pre-condition of womens liberation is the financial independence of women, in which they had no longer need to fully rely on their husbands. Peoples Republic of China (PRC) gradually shifted their concentration from the outer effects to the inner effects in the respect of womens liberation. According to Zhou (2003:69), the Fourth World Conference on womens right was hosted by China in 1995. It includes the rights to freedom of thought, conscience religion and belief, and participation on the basis of equality in all eliminate all forms of discrimination against women; promotes womens economic independence; and ensure womens equal access to economic resources, including science and technology, vocational training, information, communication, and markets. Zhou (1989) presents the dilemmatic situation for young women in the area of virginity and premarital sex in China in the late 1980s. Although the traditional views placed a high value on female virginity and deprecate premarital sex, young people now seem to have more opportunities to explore both love and sex, with the introduction of the new idea of romantic love accompanied by the growing social acceptance of close interactions between women and men. According to Zhous research in 1985, which has taken place in China, most of the young men had claimed their expectation of a virgin wife. Moreover, in rural China, nearly all the male and female peasants came to an agreement that in a love relationship, virginity was still considered to be the most valuable treasure for women. Nevertheless, the rate of premarital sexual intercourse was increasing rapidly in the present China in spite of still-existing traditional values. Several reasons can be considered for the further understandin g: social acceptance, education, and the support of young mens parents. It was agreed that most women have experienced the psychological pressures of a great dilemma in the selection between remaining a virgin and satisfying their boyfriends, but increasingly, women surrendered their resistance to the strategically emotional persuasion of their boyfriends (ibid). In terms of extramarital affairs which are popular nowadays in China, Thompson (1984) declared that either mere emotional or sexual involvement with someone other than ones spouse can be counted as extramarital affairs. According to Schwartz and Rutter (1998), all perspectives on gender differences in sexuality were divided into two dichotomized groups: traditional versus feminist. Traditional biosocial theories who reifying the biological distinctions between men and women, attempt to justify mens promiscuous behaviours: by maximizing the partners in order to inseminate the possible largest amount of women, men can somehow show their masculinity; whereas women would maximize their births for the purpose of holding onto the relationship. In opposition of the traditional perspectives, it is asserted by feminist perspectives that sexuality discrepancies between the genders are socially constructed. In this point of view, similar to men, women will tend to maximize their partners if the conditions allow them (ibid). 2.3 Contemporary China In Lis work (2006), she divides the present views of chastity in China into 3 categories: love-ism, utilitarianism, and hedonism. Firstly, love-ism chastity, which was first brought up during the May Forth Movement, means sex with the motivation of love. A research about the reasons of premarital sex, which organised by in 2004, mainly surveyed on the contemporary Chinese youth (age 20-30), in which most of them went to the universities. The result shows that for the women who had premarital sex experiences, 31.1% of them indicated that they did it in order to enhance the love in relationships, while 24.8% and 28.6% for the purposes of curiosity and want to keep their boyfriends respectively. Other 15.5% were claimed to have other reasons. From the research it is obvious that love-ism chastity is the mainstream concept of chastity nowadays in China (Zhou, 2006). Secondly, utilitarianism chastity is usually referred to the sex for benefits, such as the social phenomenon of prostitution and concubine (ibid). Thirdly, in regard of hedonism chastity, sex is often involved with either the physical or the psychological pleasure, or both. In the contemporary society, hedonism chastity is more likely the performance of simply physical pleasure (ibid). A recent study emphasizes that among the 40% of netizens who had experience on cyber love, nearly half of them did it on the purpose of one night stand (Xu, 2005). There are 4 main causes of the 3 categories of chastity. In the first place, the highly promotion of socialist market economy not only has vital contribution on the economy, but also in the area of politics, ideology, and morality. On one way, the commodity economy leads to the arousal of the sense of equality, which challenges the traditional idea of chastity, and women start to chase personal happiness. Therefore the love-ism chastity emerged. On another way, the commodity economy also arisen accompanied with hedonism and mammonism which directly link to the hedonism chastity and utilitarianism chastity (Zhou, 2006). Secondly, the rapid development of technologies, particularly the medical technology, popularizes the ways of contraception, and makes the abortion safer and more convenient. Hence, the concerns about illegitimate child were reduced, and eventually provide advantages for hedonistic sex. Women seemed to be the best beneficiary, which the pregnancy once was one of the most fears to have premarital sex. As a consequence, women can pay more attention on love rather than physical elements, which to some extent promote the formation of love-ism chastity (ibid). Culture aspect is probably one of the most essential factors. Although it seems that the traditional perspectives of chastity had lost its position in present society, however, in rural areas, villages in particular, it is still prevails. Moreover, the modern culture affects the modern youth in the way that they think it is their right and choice to choose their lifestyle such as cohabitation. Additionally, the Western culture such as the idea of sexual freedom and sexual liberation break the mysticism of sexuality, and attempt to achieve the sexual equality. Thus, the viewpoint of sex is changed. For the modern youth, love is not only spiritual and material, but also physical. Sex is certainly a part of love, and it aid to promote love. It is therefore nonsense to limit the sex. More importantly, it is believed by the youth that premarital sex is a positive behaviour in which it is a vital path to know a person and helping to make decisions on selecting the partner for life (ibid). Last but not least, social control gives the green light to the multiplex conceptions of chastity. For example, the Marriage Law forbids the married people cohabitate with others. Nevertheless, it is lack of the specific explanation on penalty and punishment. Laws can be such unfastened about extramarital cohabitation, do not even have to mention about premarital cohabitation and one night stand (ibid). Furthermore, in the present days, people care less about the things which not related to them, especially in the beneficial way. In this case, the shortening of social opinion looses the social psychological stress and reduces the restraint of peoples behaviour. In addition, the morality in China has change notably on the impact of the West (ibid). A relatively recent survey based on 2063 undergraduates in 18 universities in Shanghai, shows their attitudes on premarital cohabitation: 89.5% in total believe that it is understandable if the motivation is love, and it is inappropriate to over concern other peoples issues; while only 9.2% of them think that it is a moral degenerate (Xu and Wang, 2002). Methodology In order to facilitate the research and discover more information on this area, two methodologies were utilised for different purposes. Literature analysis is applied through literature reviews, aiming to find out the significance of the concept of Chinese womens chastity in Qing dynasty, since the era is too remote to be testified. In the meantime, questionnaires were set up in attempt to study the perception of womens virginity and fidelity in contemporary China. Additionally, both literature analysis and questionnaire are included in order to better understand the condition and situation of womens chastity the 20th century, mainly Republican China. The questionnaire is probably one of the most effective means to testify the hypothesis which was mentioned in the introduction, and to find out some other interesting information relevant to the topic but which is not anticipated in the early stages. Regarding to the sample of research, 140 surveys were required in total which divided by genders and generations. On one hand, 70 UNNC undergraduate students, 35 females and 35 males respectively, were selected randomly and selectively, which in the way it can represent as many opinions as possible, and reducing bias with maximum efforts (Strugis, 2008). As the attention of the questionnaire is focused on Modern China, and the university students can be considered as the representative groups of educated Chinese young people, therefore the candidates of the research are all selected among the Chinese students in UNNC. Moreover, the division of male and female represent the outside and inner factors. Apart from the self-conscious of wome n, mens attitude will affect womens understanding of chastity. Hence, it is crucial to include both of the two genders. On another hand, 70 copies of survey for parents, 35 females as well as 35 males, were sent along with the ones meant for students. It is interesting to compare and contrast the ideas on womens virginity and fidelity between the parents and their children, which they are respectively representative for the new generation that surrounded by the global environment, high-level education, widespread mass media, and developed technology; and the older generation who grew up in a period when China was relatively more closed to the outside world, and the progresses of technology and education are limited. Furthermore, the older generation may also be able to demonstrate the view of womens chastity of Republican China. Through the comparison of the two different generations can provide the possible causes that might lead to the different perspectives on womens virginity and fidelity. For the purpose of not making the candidates take too long when filling the questionnaire, the questionnaire is designed with two sections. There are 15 multiple choices and 3 open questions for UNNC girls, and 7 closed questions and 1 open question for UNNC boys. The mothers one is similar to their daughters while the fathers one is similar to their sons. Overall, parents ones contain two extra questions asking their age gap and education level, which seemed unnecessary for the UNNC students since their age gap and education level are confirmed: undergraduate. It is ensured that each survey takes no more than 15 minutes to finish it, without disturbing their study and work. According to Simmons (2008), pilot study is important with its function that it helps to refine the questionnaire. Thus, the initial samples were sent to several friends of mine before the actual distribution of the questionnaires, in order to examine the questionnaires critically with their objective points of view. As a result, some weaknesses of the original questionnaires were found. Such as the unclear instructions and questions, and some other possible option of answers that some candidates may want to choose are left out (ibid). Qualitative method was chosen in the first place, however, with the trial on few random UNNC students which I found on the High-Street, and one of the aunts who works in Canteen, I discovered their unwillingness of answering such sensitive questions, especially to a stranger. As an alternative, I chose questionnaire since it is less awkwardness to answer the questions. In the beginning, I sent the questionnaires to all UNNC undergraduates with the postscript of for Chinese Students only. Nevertheless, I found little response, and within the received questionnaires, most of them skip the sensitive questions such as are you a virgin. In order to maximise the response rate and the facticity, I managed to upload the questionnaires online, in which it is completely anonymous and make it more comfortable and more convenient for the candidates to do the surveys. Yet, there was a misgiving about the people other than UNNC undergraduates might answer the online questionnaires and eventually affect the result. As a consequence, I locked the questionnaires with password, and sent the four addresses of online questionnaires and the password to all UNNC undergraduates via email: UNNC girl, UNNC boy, their mother, and their father respectively. Also, in the email, I required the students not only to enter the relevant website, but also forward the online surveys to their parents. Additionally, the questionnaires for UNNC Undergraduates were written in English, while the ones for their parents were written in both Chinese and English. Findings and Discussions 4.1 Summary of Literature Analysis As what the literature analysis manifested, the demand of womens virginity before marriage and the fidelity after marriage was extremely strict in Qing. Due to the traditional ideology of Confucianism, women were merely one of mens properties in the patriarchal society. The popularized chastity cult played a vital role in Qing by honouring two female virtues: purity (jie), and martyrdom (lie). The former one referred to the sexual purity to one husband and the absolute lifetime fidelity to serve the in-laws; whereas, the latter one was more towards the absolute commitment to jie, which required more self-sacrifice and often end up with death. Numerous women were recorded chastity suicide during Qing. Several major causes of womens chastity will be analysed in the following paragraphs. First of all, womens chastity was significant in terms of human dignity. Majority of them felt failed of being a person after being offended even through slight harassments such as flirtation. Moreover, governmental policies highly promoted the chaste women, and severely punish the considered un-chaste women such as the women accused of adultery. In addition, social pressure and education had a great contribution as well. Finally, widows could obtain particular advantages. Social respects and family honour, for instance. Nonetheless, it is argued that the chaste suicides in Qing might have been over-emphasized. On one hand, there were a large number of women who carried on adulterous affairs without concerning their reputation. On the other hand, most rape victims did not search the path of death during the Qing era. For the women who were willing to become chaste widows after the death of their husband, monetary issues often stopped them from doing so. In order to collect enough money to liquidate the debts of the dead husband, or to finance his interment, a certain number of women accepted the remarriage. In other words, they traded themselves with the bride-price to their new husbands. Additionally, the widows with property which left by their deceased husband might be forced to take the arranged remarriage by the envy in-laws who wanted to take over the property. In the late Qing, a group of open-minded intellectuals who were influenced by the Western culture, had brought up the idea of gender equity, and defied the traditional chastity. Yet, their focuses were mainly on the campaigns of womens education and the freedom of marriage. 4.2 Questionnaire Summary The total valid responses were 79, including 33 female undergraduates, 22 male undergraduates, 13 mothers, and 11 fathers. It is a satisfactory rate of response, which reached 56%. More than half of the

Ephedrine and its use in Weight Loss :: Health Dieting Papers

Ephedrine and its use in Weight Loss Throughout the late nineteenth century and into the new millennium, there has been a tremendous desire among women to lose weight. Women today will do anything to achieve their belief of the perfect figure. While the â€Å"Barbie† look was at one time looked upon as unhealthy, it is now considered expected. For some reason women feel the need to keep up with Hollywood and its stars. Of course it does not help when the cover of any fashion magazine is pasted with size-zero models. After reading a magazine filled with beautiful, skinny women, people usually feel worse about the way they look, not better. So it is no surprise that the trend to lose weight has taken off in the past couple of years. And with this trend comes the increased popularity in â€Å"weight-loss† products. One can find any type of product now that claims to lose weight effectively, but at what cost to his/her health? One very controversial herb found in diet pills or food supplements is ep hedrine. Purpose of Ephedrine: While ephedrine is used to treat low blood pressure and chronic asthma, it is more popularly used in diet pills (http://www.ravehard.com/doctor/ephidra.htm). Ephedrine is a natural stimulant found in many diet pills offered today. According to the Clinical Toxicology Review, ephedrine mainly affects the cardiovascular and respiratory systems of the body. This means that it constricts blood vessels and enhances certain actions of the heart (http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000401/msgs/29022.html). In a clinical review; Capri-Mara Fillmore, Lisa Bartoli, Richard Bach, and Young Park 1999, they stated that ephedrine stimulates the sympathomimetic and central nervous system.

Mrkh

Depression, anxiety and low self-esteem in woman with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH) Abstract Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH) is a rare syndrome that not only causes physical conditions but emotional. The psychological effects of woman diagnosed with MRKH have never been fully discovered. The hypothesis and or purpose of this study is to evaluate self-report measures of psychological distress in woman with MRKH syndrome compared to woman without MRKH syndrome.A group of woman with MRKH will be assessed through anxiety, depression, and self-esteem scales to determine any psychological distress MRKH had on them when they first received the diagnosis up until later on in life. Similar studies and theories believe that coping with infertility can be taxing and cause psychological issues throughout a woman’s life. I belief observing woman when diagnosed with MRKH as well as following up with woman after dealing with the initial shock of this syndrome will give insight to being able to give proper coping skills to not only woman with MRKH syndrome but woman with infertility issues.Keywords: MRKH, anxiety, depression, infertility, menstrual disorders Introduction MRKH is a rare condition found in approximately 1 in 5000 female births, and it is typically diagnosed in mid-adolescence (Leidolf, 2006). The psychosexual development and the identity, femininity, body image and self-esteem of the patients can be significantly impaired by receiving this type of information about their bodies (Laggari, et al. , 2009). Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome is a condition that involves congenital absence of the vagina, fallopian tubes, cervix and/ or uterus.Some women have uterine remnants, or horns. External genitalia are normal. Chromosome karyotype is 46XX(normal female). The incidence rate is approximately one in 5000. Other symptoms involved to varying degrees are kidney abnormalities, skeletal problems and hearing loss. The cause is somewhat unclear, but the Syndrome occurs during the 4th-6th week of fetal development (Heller-Hoersma, Schmidt, Edmons, 2009). MRKH syndrome is divided into two types; type I Rokitansky sequence and type II MURCS association.Isolated utero-vaginal aplasia is referred to as Rokitansky sequence or to type I (isolated) MRKH syndrome. Incomplete aplasia and/or associated with other malformations, is generally referred to as MURCS association (or type II MRKH syndrome) (Camborieux, Guerrier, Morcel, 2007). Many components go into each case found with MRKH syndrome. Surgery may be in order to have a correctly functioning vagina in many cases. There are many different elements that can affect woman with MRKH syndrome physically and psychologically.Menstruation is considered to be one of the archetypal symbols of femininity and thus constitutes a phenomenon of great significance in the nature of woman (Laggari, et al. , 2009). Living in a world where fertility is a virtue can cause many c onfusing thoughts for those who are infertile. Adolescent girls struggle when trying to figure out who they are as kids and as women. Magazines, Television and Role Models stress the importance of becoming a mother and giving birth.Seeing pregnant women on a day-to-day basis as well as displayed as beautiful in the media shapes a certain image in girls’ minds. When diagnosed with MRKH many women feel confused, angry, and hurt. Adjusting to the diagnosis of MRKH is a difficult and traumatic process for these women, leading them to question their identity as women and to experience a sense of confusion regarding their gender, their bodies, and their social and sexual roles (Leidolf, 2006). Being diagnosed as abnormal can lead to many questions about ones identity.Many women who struggle with infertility difficulties struggle with psychological difficulties. MRKH syndrome is a rare disorder and has been limitedly studied. Looking at the connection between psychological stress wi th woman who have MRKH and those who do not will give insight to many syndromes that deal with infertility issues for example polycystic ovary syndrome. Studies that have been taken have shown a strong connection between anxiety and depression with woman with MRKH syndrome. Limited sample sizes have caused strain in the past studies.A past study states; â€Å"very little is known about the short and long-term psychological impact of MRKHS in females, but several clinicians have suggested that the physical malformations, absence of menstruation and infertility and the subsequent surgical intervention may all contribute to narcissistic damage in these patients† (Laggari, et al. , 2009). Finding out this information can help doctors prepare in helping woman cope with the struggles of infertility. In women with MRKH is it not only the struggle with infertility but also the conflict of identity.Many of these patients may also become depressed questioning themselves over their gend er and doubting their ability to fulfill the female role as adults in the future. They report that infertility is the most difficult part of the condition for young woman to accept (Laggari, et al. , 2009). Doing two personal interviews with patients with MRKH syndrome really helped get into the eyes of how one dealt with the overwhelming feelings of being diagnosed with this syndrome as a teen, and dealing with and living with MRKH as an adult.This interview will help in the preparation for the study we hope to perform for the future. Having such a rare disorder makes it not only difficult to study but difficult to find participants. Finding those with MRKH syndrome around the world willing to participate in this interview was very helpful. A set of interview questions was produced to ensure the best quality answers. Fake names were used to ensure the privacy of patients. Interview Questions 1. How old were you when you found out you had MRKH syndrome 2. How did you find out you ha d MRKH syndrome . What were the feelings/emotions you felt when you found this out? 4. Was there anything that doctors could have improved on? 5. Was there a support system available? Or something you would have liked to see? 6. Was there anything that would have made finding out and dealing with having MRKH easier? I asked two participants of different ages. Both woman were asked the same questions; Alicia fifty years of age, and Jessica twenty-two years of age. Alicia was diagnosed with MRKH at the age of fifteen, she found out due to â€Å"not having a normal size vagina. â€Å"Only a dimple sized vagina. † When she found out she was devastated, the doctors were pocking and prodding at her not having a support system treating her like some kind of experiment. â€Å"Today I am very thankful and try to be of any help to girls who are struggling with what I went through, never wanting a girl to have to go through it alone like I did. I know how hard it can be and believe a strong support system is very important. † Jessica is only twenty-two years of age and found out she had MRKH at fourteen years of age due to a lack of menstruation.Jessica said she was very confused, she thought something was wrong with her because she was different from all of her friends. After she found out she had MRKH she was overwhelmed but glad she didn’t feel so lost and alone. Jessica said she still went through a great deal of depression and grieving but it was great having a support group and having many girls that were going through the same thing. I found it very interesting to see the differences in answers between Alicia and Jessica due to their difference in age.Even though MRKH syndrome is still a very rare syndrome the doctors dealing with this syndrome are trying to improve on the support systems to keep improving on the psychological effects that this emotional syndrome can have on women. Methodology Section Recent studies have been performed trying to evaluate self-report measures of psychological distress in woman with MRKH syndrome compared to woman without MRKH syndrome but have none have fully succeded. Past studies have struggled with finding a significant sample size.I plan to contact woman with MRKH syndrome not only in the United States but also the United Kingdom. Having a bigger range will help get a more significant sample size. The four main MRKH doctors will be contacted in hope they will participate in this study. Helping find patients through this source will not only be helpful but more successful. I hope to find a central location to perform this study. Boston, Massachusetts is one of the central hubs for the MRKH community and believe it would be a great location for the experiment to take place.Before the experiment was to start I believe all the woman should be informed that there is a support system available at all times, if they are in any way uncomfortable they do not need to feel pressured to answer a ny questions, and or can return as they please not having a time limit. I believe that this is a very difficult subject and should be treated with the utmost care. Dealing with infertility and identity issues can cause great psychological stress on a woman. I believe looking at anxiety, depression and self-esteem would be a good start to looking at the psychological effects MRKH syndrome has had on women.Using The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), which is a widely used questionnaire and is the depression rating scale that is most often used with adolescents. BDI consists of 16 items, designed to assess the cognitive behavioral effective and somatic components of depression, and the severity or self-reported depressive symptoms (Laggari, et al. , 2009). The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), which is used extensively to assess global anxiety that varies across situations and anxiety that is stable across time and situations. The STAI is composed of two separate self-report scales (Laggari, et al. 2009). Rosenburg Self-Esteem scale is 10 items being rated strongly agrees to strongly disagree. This questionnaire observes how one views one’s own worth. Using these scales will let us observe the difference between woman with MRKH and woman without MRKH. Because MRKH is such a stressful syndrome the belief is the results will show significantly higher ratings in depression, anxiety, and self-esteem in woman with MRKH syndrome. It is important to following up with the woman who participated in the study years after the diagnosis.Looking to see the hopeful progress a woman has made in dealing with the diagnosis is important to helping women in the future. Using similar scales to assess their psychological state would be beneficial to track their progress. Reviewing and comparing both scales will then give an accurate depiction of the psychological effects that MRKH syndrome can have on a woman. I believe it is very important to make sure that a woman is stab le enough to participate in these studies after being diagnosed with MRKH.Many women have been known to go through severe depression and even attempt suicide after dealing with infertility issues, needing time to go through a proper grieving process. We want to get accurate measures, but want to make sure that participants are emotionally stable after leaving the experiment. References Laggari, V. , Diareme, S. , Christogiorgos, S. , Deligeorglou, E. , Chrisopoulos, P. , Tsiantis, J. , & Creatsas, G. (2009). Anxiety and depression in adolescents with polycystic ovary syndrome and Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology, 30(22). 3-88. Laure Camborieux, Daniel Guerrier, Karine Morcel. (2007). Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. 13. Leidolf, E. (2006). The missing vagina monologue†¦and beyond. Journal of Gay Lesbian Psychotherapy. 10(2), 77-92. Heller-Boersma, J. G. , Schmidt, U. H. , & Edmons, D. (2009). Psychological distress in women with uterovaginal agenesis (Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser Syndrome. MRKH). Psychosomatics; Journal of Consultation Liason Psychiatry. 50(3). 277-281. Parker, L. (2012, November). Personal Interview Taylor, T. (2012, November). Personal Interview

4 Tips That Guarantee Youll Get the Job Interview

4 Tips That Guarantee Youll Get the Job Interview Even if you’re accomplished and well-qualified, the job market can be a tough place, and it can be difficult to get the job interview you really want. Here are four tips that will help make sure your resume ends up in the â€Å"yes† pile and you end up with the interview. Read CloselyYou might be the most qualified person you know in your field, but that doesn’t mean you’re capable of doing every job, particularly jobs not in your usual bracket. That’s why it’s crucial that you go through the job posting with a fine-toothed comb. Make a numbered list of exactly what it is they’re asking for: which degrees are mandatory, which skills are preferred. Then make sure you have most, if not all, of these before proceeding to submit.Target Your ResumeIf you really want this job, then it’s worth the half an hour to an hour to customize your resume to make sure you’re an attractive candidate. Does your resume seem set up for that p articular job title? If it doesn’t fit on first glance, you’ll end up in the shredder. Now make sure to highlight skills and experiences that would be most valuable to this employer for filling this position.Target Your Cover LetterBe specific, particularly if your resume requires an extra bit of context to convince them that you’re right for the job. But this is a good idea in general. Your cover letter is the best window into not only who you are as a worker, but who you are as a person, and how you’d fit into the culture. Address it to the correct person, and do a bit of research into what the company is looking for before you make your promises. Make sure you make the right ones!Show Your FaceIt’s easy to spend most of your time slumped at your laptop, sending resumes into the void. But more and more jobs are landed by face-to-face networking these days. Try hand delivering your resume and cover letter to the hiring manager at that particular c ompany. And then get out there. Meet people. Talk about where you want to be and what you want to be doing, and meet the folks that can help you get there.

USS Arkansas (BB-33) in World War II

USS Arkansas (BB-33) in World War II Nation:  United StatesType:  BattleshipShipyard:  New York Shipbuilding, Camden, NJLaid Down:  January 25, 1910Launched:  January 14, 1911Commissioned:  September 17, 1912Fate:  Sunk July 25, 1947, during Operation Crossroads USS Arkansas  (BB-33) - Specifications Displacement:  26,000  tonsLength:  562 ft.Beam:  93.1 ft.Draft:  28.5 ft.Propulsion:  12  Babcock and Wilcox  coal-fired boilers  with oil spray, 4-shaft  Parsons  direct-drive  steam turbinesSpeed:  20.5  knotsComplement:  1,063  men​ Armament (As Built) 12 Ãâ€"  12-inch/50 caliber Mark 7  guns21 Ãâ€"  5/51 caliber guns2 Ãâ€" 21  torpedo tubes USS Arkansas (BB-33) - Design Construction Conceived at the 1908 Newport Conference, the  Wyoming-class of battleship was the US Navys fourth type of dreadnought after the earlier  -,  -, and  -classes.  The first incarnations of the design came about through war games and debates as the earlier classes had not yet entered service.  Central among the conferences findings was the need for increasingly larger calibers of main guns.  During the latter months of 1908, discussions  ensued over the configuration and armament of the new class with various layouts  being considered.  On March 30, 1909, Congress authorized  construction of two Design 601 battleships.  The Design 601 plans  called for a ship approximately 20% larger than the  Florida-class and carrying twelve 12 guns.   Named  USS  Wyoming  (BB-32) and USS  Arkansas  (BB-33), the two ships of the new class were powered by twelve Babcock and Wilcox coal-fired boilers with direct drive turbines turning four propellers.  The arrangement of the main armament saw the twelve 12 guns mounted in  six twin turrets in  superfiring (one firing over the other) pairs forward, amidships, and aft.  To support the main guns, naval architects added twenty-one 5 guns with the bulk placed in individual casemates below the main deck. Additionally, the battleships carried two 21 torpedo tubes.  For protection, the  Wyoming-class utilized the main armor belt eleven inches thick.   Assigned to New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, NJ, construction started  on Arkansas  on January 25, 1910.  Work advanced over the next year and  the new battleship entered the water on January 14, 1911, with Nancy Louise Macon of Helena, Arkansas  serving as sponsor.  Construction concluded the following year and  Arkansas  shifted to the Philadelphia Navy Yard where it entered commission on September 17, 1912, with Captain Roy C. Smith  in command. USS Arkansas (BB-33) - Early Service Departing Philadelphia,  Arkansas  steamed north to New York to take part in a fleet review for President William H. Taft.  Embarking the president, it then carried him south to the Panama Canal construction site before conducting a brief shakedown cruise.  Retrieving Taft,  Arkansas  transported him to Key West in December before joining the Atlantic Fleet.  Taking part in routine maneuvers during the majority of 1913, the battleship steamed for Europe that fall.  Making goodwill calls around the Mediterranean, it arrived in Naples in October and aided in celebrating the birthday of King Victor Emmanuel III.  Returning home,  Arkansas  sailed for the Gulf of Mexico in early 1914 as tensions with Mexico increased. In late April, Arkansas  took part in the US occupation of Veracruz.  Contributing four companies of infantry to the landing force, the battleship supported the fighting from offshore.  During the battle for the city,  Arkansas detachment sustained two killed while two members won the Medal of Honor for their actions.  Remaining in the vicinity through the summer, the battleship returned to Hampton Roads in October.  Following repairs at New York, Arkansas  began three years of standard operations with the Atlantic Fleet.  These consisted of training and exercises in northern waters during the summer months and in the Caribbean in the winter.   USS Arkansas (BB-33) - World War I Serving with Battleship Division 7 in early 1917, Arkansas  was in Virginia when the US entered World War I that April.  Over the next fourteen months, the battleship operated along the East Coast training gun crews.  In July 1918,  Arkansas  transited the Atlantic and relieved USS  Delaware  (BB-28) which was serving with the 6th Battle Squadron in Admiral Sir David Beattys British Grand Fleet. Operating with the 6th Battle Squadron for the remainder of the war, the battleship sortied in late November along with the Grand Fleet to escort the German High Seas Fleet into internment at Scapa Flow.  Detached from the Grand  Fleet on December 1,  Arkansas  and other American naval forces steamed for Brest, France where they met the liner SS  George Washington  which was carrying President Woodrow Wilson to the peace conference at Versailles.  This done, the battleship sailed for New York where it arrived on December 26. USS Arkansas (BB-33) - Interwar Years In May  1919,  Arkansas served as a guide ship for a flight of US Navy Curtiss NC flying boats as they attempted a trans-Atlantic flight before receiving  orders to join the Pacific Fleet that summer.  Passing through the Panama Canal,  Arkansas  spent two years in the Pacific during which time it visited Hawaii and Chile.  Returning to the Atlantic in 1921, the battleship spent the next four years conducting routine exercises and midshipmen training cruises.  Entering the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1925,  Arkansas  underwent a modernization program which saw the installation of oil-fired boilers, a tripod mast aft, additional deck armor, as well as the trunking of the ships funnels into a single, larger funnel.  Rejoining the fleet in November 1926, the battleship spent the next several years in peacetime operations with the Atlantic and Scouting Fleets.  These included a variety of training cruises and fleet problems. Continuing to serve, Arkansas  was at Hampton Roads in September 1939 when World War II began in Europe.  Assigned to the Neutrality Patrol reserve force along with USS  New York  (BB-34), USS  Texas  (BB-35), and USS  Ranger  (CV-4), the battleship continued training activities into 1940.  The following July,  Arkansas  escorted US forces to the north to occupy Iceland before being present at the Atlantic Charter conference a month later.  Resuming service with the Neutrality Patrol, it was at Casco Bay, ME on December 7 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. USS Arkansas (BB-33) - World War II Following training activities in the North Atlantic,  Arkansas  arrived at Norfolk in March 1942 for an overhaul.  This saw a reduction in the vessels secondary armament and an enhancement of its anti-aircraft defenses.  After a shakedown cruise in the Chesapeake,  Arkansas  escorted a convoy to Scotland in August.  It repeated this run again in October.  Beginning in November, the battleship began protecting convoys bound for North Africa as part of Operation Torch.  Continuing in this duty until May 1943,  Arkansas  then moved to a training role in the Chesapeake.  That fall, it received orders to aid in escorting convoys to Ireland. In April 1944, Arkansas  commenced shore bombardment training in Irish waters in preparation for the invasion of Normandy.  Sortieing on June 3, the battleship joined Texas  in Group II before arriving off Omaha Beach three days later.  Opening fire at 5:52 AM,  Arkansas first shots in combat struck German positions behind the beach.  Continuing to engage targets through the day, it remained offshore supporting Allied operations for the next week.  Operating along the Norman coast for the rest of the month, Arkansas  shifted to the Mediterranean in July to provide fire support for Operation Dragoon.  Striking targets along the French Riviera in mid-August, the battleship then sailed for Boston. Undergoing a refit,  Arkansas  prepared for service in the Pacific.  Sailing in November, the battleship reached Ulithi in early 1945.  Assigned to Task Force 54,  Arkansas  took part in the invasion of Iwo Jima beginning on February 16.  Departing in March, it sailed for Okinawa where it provided fire support for Allied troops following the landings on April 1.  Remaining offshore into May, the battleships guns bombarded Japanese positions.  Withdrawn to Guam and then the Philippines, Arkansas  remained there into August.  Sailing for Okinawa late in the month, it was at sea when the word was received that the war had ended. USS Arkansas (BB-33) - Later Career Assigned to Operation Magic Carpet,  Arkansas  aided in returning American servicemen from the Pacific.  Employed in this role through the end of the year, the battleship then remained at San Francisco through the early part of 1946.  In May, it departed for Bikini Atoll via Pearl Harbor.  Arriving at Bikini in June, Arkansas  was designated as a target ship for the Operation Crossroads atomic bomb testing.  Surviving Test ABLE on July 1, the battleship was sunk on July 25 following the underwater detonation of Test BAKER.  Officially decommissioned four days later,  Arkansas  was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on August 15. Selected Sources DANFS: USS  Arkansas  (BB-33)NHHC: USS  Arkansas  (BB-33)U-boat.net: USS  Arkansas  (BB-33)

The writing life of the arthur Stephen king Research Paper

The writing life of the arthur Stephen king - Research Paper Example While King was in college, he spent a lot of time doing odd jobs to pay for his tuition, but he continued to write. In 1967, King’s first professional story, â€Å"The Glass Floor,† was sold. After college, King was unable to find immediate employment, so he made money by selling many of his short stories to men’s magazines. Even after he obtained a job as an English teacher, King continued to write and sell his short stories to various publications. In 9171, he began to prepare notes for his first novels. From the mid-70s to the mid-80s, Stephen King saw some of his biggest successes. In 1974, his novel Carrie was published. He originally threw away the manuscript for the novel, but his wife convinced him to finish. To this day, Carrie remains to be one of his most acclaimed novels. The following year came the publishing and releasing of his second novel, Salem’s Lot. In 1977, after his mother’s death from cancer, King wrote and published The Shini ng, yet another one of his most-recognized novels and the most referenced in popular culture. The following year, The Stand, his forth novel, was written and published. In 1985, King had a taste of the comic book world, collaborating on an X-Men comic books with various other writers for a charity event. King took part in his own individual comic book adventure in 1986, writing the introduction to an anniversary addition of Batman (Collings 45). In the latter part of the 1970s, the conception of King’s first series, The Dark Tower series, led to further success for the writer. The first novel was featured in installments in various horror-based magazines. It was professionally published in 1982 and gained quick popularity amongst horror, fantasy, and science fiction fans. The seven-book series was written and published over a span of forty years, with the final one being released in 2004. In 2009, however, King also wrote and published a prequel to the series. On June 19, 199 9, Stephen King was involved in a car accident, during which he was struck by an unaware driver while King was walking along the road and reading a book (Brooks 428). The accident caused numerous injuries and great pain in King, prompting him to announce his retirement from writing in 2002. Due to the injuries sustained in his accident, he found it painful to sit for long periods of time, which took away a lot of his time for writing. However, King has since continued writing, pumping out almost a novel every year. His last published book, in 2009, was Ur. In March of 2011, King made it known that his next novel was set to be released November 8, 2011, and that he was planning on publishing an eighth Dark Tower novel in 2012. Stephen King is one of the most well-known horror writers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Though he is writing at a slower pace due to the pains of his accident, King has made it clear that writing is not only his job, but his life, and he has no i ntentions of parting from his works until his dying day. Until then, he will continue to appease to his loyal fans. Works Cited Beahm, George W. The Stephen King Story. 2nd ed. Kansas City, MO: Andrews & McMeel, 2000. Print. Beahm divulges into the life of Stephen King. The majority of the book is centered on King's childhood. More specifically, the events and

Managment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Managment - Assignment Example Some consider developing of stringent policies and regulation in solving of the problem which has been taking place for over one year. The problem statement will be helpful to the improvement team in defining the problem, thereby identifying the root cause. The point at which the 80% line intersects the cumulative percentage curve is the plotted on the x-axis, separates the fundamental causes to the left, and the less prominent causes to the right. Under operational flaws, the PT tools should concentrate on; activation switch malfunction, non functional electric system and mounting plate located off-center. The only less salient cause is motor failure. Under finish flaws, scratches and dents are fundamental causes while, surface finishing disfiguration in paint, damage to the casing and wrong color are less salient causes. Using Cost analysis, the activation switch malfunction, becomes an indispensable cause under operational flaws. The finish flaws principal cause will increase with the addition of damage to the casing being a significant cause. The inclusion of cost increases the number of fundamental causes due to increase in the cost of repair which increase the cumulative percentage of the causes. The activation switch malfunction becomes an essential issue because of the volumes and prices of failure resulting from it. Therefore, the increases in cumulative percentage of total cost of repairs are a result of increase in causes effect on the quality. Why-why diagrams are useful in the identification of problems that lead to failure. In the mail order problem, delay can be cause by the order message deliverer or problems with in the organizational systems which can be identified and resolved. It was developed by Karoru Isakawa with four main categories covering man power, ways or methods, materials and machinery if targeting manufacturing or policies, equipment, procedures and people in the case of Administration and service